Conveyor supporting system



Oct. 7, 1969 A. QRLOFF ET AL I 3,471,001

CONVEYOR suPRoRTING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 16, 1968 INVENTOR. RRTHURORLOFF ATTORNEY Un t d S ate Pmwf" 3,471,001 I .CQNVEYQR SUPPORTING SYSTEM Arthur;'0rlofi, Nunda, and 'GlithrieB. Stone, Honeoye, N.Y'., a'ssignors to Stone"Conveyor Company, Inc.,

Honeoye, N.Y., a corporation of New'York Filed Jan. 16, 1968, Sen-No. 698,304

'- Int. 'Cl. B65g-21/12 31Claims Q ABSTRACT OFTHE nrscLosURE arrangement whereby the hoisting cable serves in maintaining a constant radial relationship. between the anchor fipivotpoint and the supporting'structure, without thenccessity-of having rigid strut members. a

BACKGROUND or THE irivENrIoN I This invention relates generally to conveying apparatus of the type known as radial stackers, with which apparatus loosematerials of all kinds can be piled-to. much greater heights than would be possible with du'mp'trucks. It relates more particularly to the manner in which the hoisting. cable for the stacking conveyor is reeved to overcome the tensions that would normally urge the supporting structure out of position at itsba'se.

Radial stackers of the type described have tended toward ever increasing lengths, 'which places tremendous weights and compressive forces upon the supporting structure that raises and lowers the conveyor boom. As

these booms are generally pivotally fixed at a tail end and movably supported at a point intermediate both ends, the outwardly extending section demands that the supporting structure be reinforced with struts and other bracing which make the entire apparatus excessively cumbersome. Apparatus of the prior art which has been pivoted upon supporting wheels, has required considerable bracing to preserve true radial tracking of the wheels and to prevent inward movement of the base of the supporting structure. This problem is overcome simply by this invention with reductions in overall weight and manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a supporting system for keeping the mast and wheeled carriage of a radial stacker in a vertical position and at a fixed radius with the anchor pivot. Restricting guy wires limit the supporting mast and carriage from movement which would increase the fixed radius. The novel reeving of the hoisting cable provides tension forces in a direction outwardly from the pivot which act in opposition to the restricting guy wires and thus will maintain the wheeled carriage at a true fixed radius.

It is a general object of this invention to reduce the size and weight of previously required reinforcing struts for radial stacker devices.

It is a further object of the invention to eliminate the need for rigid struts and hinging mechanism for such struts on stackers of this type.

It is a further object to provide a system using wire cables to reinforce a stacker mast which will permit vertical and horizontal position changes during operation.

It is a still further object of the invention to devise a single lightweight means for keeping a stacker mast vertical and at a fixed radial distance from the anchor point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

3,471,001 Patented Oct. 1969 FIG. 1, shows a radial stacker in perspective with the inventive arrangement applied thereto; and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the hoisting cable showing the reeving. arrangement to provide opposing Avert-ic'a-lly positionable radial stacker having a reeving I :second end 13 directed outwardly isf'freely movable with driven by any desired means (not shown).

An upstanding A-shaped frame 15 1s m a generally intermediate position along the boom 11 with the ends 13 and 14 extending through on opposite sides. An undercarriage 16 rests upon wheels 17 and 18 with a motor 19 for providing movement to the apparatus in a horizontal plane around the pivot point 10. The undercarriage 16 extends upwardly to form a supporting mast 20 through which the boom 11 extends and by which it is moved and supported. Anchor cables 21 and 22 of equal length are fastened to the frame 15 near the wheels 17 and 18, respectively, and are fixed to the boom end 12 to allow rotation at a predetermined maximum radius from the pivot point 10. Two guy wires 23 and 24 of equal length are secured between the boom end 12 and the top of the mast 20 which they maintain in a vertical plane when the wheels 17 and 18 are in their maximum radial location. A suspending frame 25 is bolted to the conveyor boom 11 at a position outwardly of the frame 15 and is held in an upright position by four guide wires 26 extending to the boom 11.

Power for moving the conveyor boom 11 vertically within the frame 15 is from a motor-driven winch 27 having a hoisting cable 28 attached for take up. The hoisting cable 28 extends upwardly to a fixed cluster of sheaves at the top of the mast' 20 then downwardly to a movable cluster of sheaves held by the frame 25 and alternately back and forth using all sheaves. This reeving is more clearly shown in FIG. 2 where cable 28 passes around sheaves 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 with the odd-numbered ones being the fixed cluster and the even-numbered being movable by raising and lowering the boom 11.

The weight of the outwardly extending boom places high tension on the top of the mast 20 in anoutward direction against the restraint of the guy wires 23 and 24. Without some means to prevent it, these forces would tend to urge the undercarriage 16 toward the pivot point 10, thus reducing the radial tracking distance and putting the frame 15 out of plumb, which would be a dangerous condition. This invention provides a simple means for tensioning the undercarriage 16 outwardly from the pivot point 10 and keeps the anchor cables 21 and 22 taut at all times. The hoisting cable 28 is extended downwardly from the sheave 35 to a single fixed sheave 36 secured to the undercarriage 16. The cable 28 is then drawn outwardly and reeved about a single sheave 37 secured to the outward end 13 and then doubled back to a dead-end fixture 38 on the undercarriage 16. The forces exerted upon the hoisting cable 28 by the winch 27 in raising or lowering the conveyor boom 11 have a positive relationship with the forces exerted outwardly upon the undercarriage 1-6 by the double lap of cable 28 extending to the sheave 37.

This system maintains a continual tension on the anchor cables 21 and 22 with the opposing pull of the hoistheavy struts. 1

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof.

We claim:

1. A radial stacker apparatus comprising (A) a horizontally movable frame including:

(1) a wheeled carriage, and (2) a supporting mast upwardly extending from said carriage,

(B) a conveyor boom supported centrally from said mast having:

(1) an anchored pivot end, and (2) an outwardly directed free end,

(C) an'end'less conveyor belt extending generally between said two ends, v

(D) anchor cables connected between said wheeled carriage and said pivot end to allow a fixed maximum radius therebetween,

(E) anchor guy wires connecting said supporting mast and said pivot end,

(F) hoisting means carried by said movable frame and said conveyor boom for raising, lowering and sup porting said free end, and

(G) tensioning means deriving tension forces from said hoisting means for biasing said wheeled carriage outwardly toward said free end.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said hoisting means includes (A) a winch mechanism,

V (B) a hoisting cable having a first end connected to said which mechanism for'take-up' andlet-off, (C) a fixed sheave cluster fastened on top of said supporting mast, (D) a movable sheave cluster fastened centrally of said conveyor boomyt (B) said hoisting cable being reeyed alternately between said fixed sheave cluster and .said movable sheave cluster, and 1 '(F) said hoisting cable having a second end which interconnects said wheeled carriage and said free end of said boom for maintaining a' continual tension outwardly upon said wheeled carriage. 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said tensioning means further includes (A) a first single sheave secured to said wheeled carriage, 1 1 1 (B) a second single sheave secured to said free end,

' (C) said second end of said hoisting cable being reeved from said first single sheave, to said second single sheave, then to said wheeled carriage for dead-end fastening thereon.

References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,784,872 12/1930 Hartman 198- 122X 7 2,619,219 11/1952 Carroll 198-122 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner A Us. c1. X.R. 198-122, 125 

